I will start by telling you this.
I married a New Yorker.
No, not New York City..... upstate New York..... near Lake George.
My mother in law is from Albany..... you know she still drinks cwoffee and has a dwog.
New Yorkers know their Pizza.
It has paper thin chewy crispy crust.
Don't mess with a good thing.
It took me almost 10 years of marriage, to said "New Yorker", to get the pizza just right.
And yes, he hates it when I call him the New Yorker ;)
"I haven't lived there in almost 20 years, I'm not a New Yorker." (he tells me.)
But really, I'm sure you are far more interested in the pizza then my silly banter with the man of the house.
So here it is..... our beloved crust recipe & technique. And my favorite toppings. Though, admittedly, we make cheese pizzas for half the kids and serve them a spoon full of roasted veggies on the side. They don't want me to mess with their pizza too much....... maybe they get it from their dad?
Roasted Veggie Pizza
The Crust~
1.5 cups of warm water (80-90 degrees)
1/2 tsp sugar
3 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp salt
2.5 tsp yeast
*mix these up in a bowl and let them sit until a little frothy from the yeast, then mix in...
1 cup of wheat flour
2-3 cups of white flour
*keep adding the white flour until the dough is pliable and soft but no longer sticky. let it rise in a warm spot for 45 minutes. punch down and cut into 6 pieces. roll thin on a floured surface and toss it around a little to stretch it out. This makes enough dough for our family to make six 14 inch pizzas. However, if you like a thicker crust, double the recipe.
Roasted Veggies::
2 yellow summer squash/zucchini
1 onion, we like red
1 eggplant
8 oz baby bella mushrooms
1 red pepper
(spinach & tomatoes for later)
olive oil
salt & pepper
*preheat oven to 450 degrees. cut the veggies into bite size pieces. (except the spinach & tomatoes) toss them with olive oil & salt & pepper. spread them in a thin layer on a baking sheet. roast in the oven until cooked through and slightly browned. take them out to cool while you get the pizzas ready.
put your pizza stones in the oven and turn the heat up to 500 degrees.
roll the dough out and place the pizza on a well floured cutting mat or baking sheet. cornmeal works great too. don't skimp on the flour, it's your secret weapon. add your toppings, we like to splash the dough with olive oil or pesto, the kids like sauce, add a sprinkle of spinach leaves, the roasted veggies & then some diced tomatoes. feta cheese and artichoke hearts are also divine! don't overdo the toppings though, or you'll end up with soggy crust. immediately slide the pizza into the hot oven onto the baking stone. (if you have a little trouble sliding it, get help from a spatula and another set of hands)
bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.
**if you don't have pizza stones you can bake these on a cookie sheet at 475**
ENJOY!
